Lady Gaga Goes House-Hunting in Hamptons
Lady Gaga is reportedly house-hunting in the Hamptons; guess even glam-rock (or is that glam-disco) musicians need to hit the beach in the midst of this terrible heat wave. A New York Post report by Selim Algar indicates that Gaga, whose real name is Stefani Germanotta, is looking in the areas of Bridgehampton, East Hampton, Sagaponack, and Water Mill. That eliminates the most laid-back Hampton (Amagansett), the most family-friendly Hampton (Westhampton) and arguably the most stuffy Hampton (Southampton, though some would nominate East Hampton for that prize).
The Hamptons real estate scene has been in turmoil lately, with local appraiser George Simpson first filing, then last year withdrawing, a lawsuit against multiple area brokerages, saying that they are anticompetitive because they use a web-based listing exchange called OREX (Open RealNet Exchange). Subscription to the system can cost $40,000, reports Candace Taylor of The Real Deal, a real estate trade magazine. With such a high price for data, Simpson argued, big Hamptons firms and boutiques -- including the Corcoran Group, Prudential Douglas Elliman, and Saunders and Associates -- had an advantage over the little guys.
However, in reality, the issue is not OREX versus the Hamptons MLS -- which is public and available at www.mlsli.com. It's how to find the choicest Hamptons properties, many of which are not listed at all. Presumably the House of Gaga will do a good job sniffing them out, but I wonder how she'll feel living in a world where she'll struggle to be the most flamboyant presence. I don't think Sean Combs, who's been known to make a few spectacular appearances himself, will fold without a fight.
On the other hand, Gaga, who has tweeted that she lives "on the road with my props and wigs," may be happy to help find them a home -- sand and all.
Image by Flickr User Manuelt15, CC 2.0